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Monday 21 November 2005

The World Today is a comprehensive current affairs program which backgrounds, analyses, interprets and encourages debate on events and issues of interest and importance to all Australians. Below is the program summary with links to transcripts and audio (if available).

No more to be done for Nguyen, says PM

Prime Minister John Howard says nothing more can be done to save the life of the 25-year-old Australian man, Van Nguyen, who was found guilty of heroin smuggling and is scheduled to be executed in Singapore in 11 days' time. But Van Ngyuen's legal team is pursuing one last option - it's trying to bring a case against Singapore's mandatory death penalty before the International Court of Justice.

Beazley holds out hope for Nguyen

The Federal Labor leader says he hasn't given up hope of saving Van Nguyen from the hangman's noose in Singapore. But Kim Beazley says while the Australian Government should pursue action in the International Court of Justice, the best chance to save the young Australian's life could be through the Prime Minister John Howard lobbying at the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting in Malta.

Regional terror threat grows

The warning by the Federal Police Commissioner, Mick Keelty, that the threat of terrorism in South East Asia is on the increase, has been echoed by a visiting expert on terrorism. Dr Rohan Gunaratna, the head of Terrorism Research at the Institute of Defence and Strategic Studies in Singapore, says the global and regional terrorism threat has grown since the al-Qeada attacks on New York in 2001. And despite a series of high-profile arrests in Australia, he warns that a terrorist attack in this country is likely in coming years.

Asbestos victims demand Hardies pay up

The New South Wales Government has confirmed today that if building products company James Hardie fails to sign off on its asbestos liabilities by next week, it will bring in legislation to force the company to pay up. The James Hardie company is continuing to thrash out the terms of its victims compensation arrangement with the Government.

Sharon to form his own party

Israeli politics is about to enter uncharted waters, according to a prominent political analyst. Israeli army radio is reporting that Prime Minister Ariel Sharon will resign from his ruling Likud Party and contest the next elections under a new political banner. The Prime Minister is also expected to ask for a snap poll early next year.

UK police officer shot dead during robbery investigation

In Britain, debate is raging once again about whether the country should arm its police force after a female officer was shot dead while investigating a robbery in the city of Bradford in the north of England. Constable Sharon Beshenivsky is the 36th police officer to be killed on duty in the UK in the past 20 years, as Kerri Ritchie reports from London.

Investment creeps back to Solomon Islands

The Solomon Islands is finding its feet again after ethnic tensions almost tore the nation apart at the turn of the century. During that time, many foreigners left the country, businesses were ransacked and houses burnt to the ground by the two warring factions. Thanks to a multinational effort, led by Australia, order was restored, and now foreigners are once again sniffing out investment opportunities in the resource rich country, as our correspondent Steve Marshall reports.

Better living standards fail to reduce human trafficking

For many developing countries in the Asia Pacific region, the past two decades have seen dramatic changes in living standards and economic activity. But while it's been assumed that such improvements would provide new opportunities, delegates attending a human rights conference in Sydney today are warning that far too many women and children are still ending up as the victims of human trafficking operations.

Schoolies week brings big bucks to Gold Coast tourism

For decades, school leavers have been heading to the Gold Coast to blow off some steam, celebrate the end of their exams and mark the beginning of a whole new stage of life. This year 30,000 students are expected on the coast, and it's now a two-week event, with huge marketing opportunities for the Gold Coast. A Schoolies Week Management board runs the show, schoolies are registered, part of the famous stretch of beach is cordoned off for their use and big business is eyeing off the profits.

Leslie free but faces more legal wrangling over paid interviews

As one Australian magazine confirms that it's in negotiations with model and convicted drug user Michelle Leslie to tell her story, there's still uncertainty over whether Ms Leslie should be allowed to profit from any interviews about her conviction in Bali over the possession of two ecstasy tablets. The Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions has the role of deciding whether, if she did sell her story, Ms Leslie would be contravening the Proceeds of Crime Act, which prohibits criminals from profiting from their crimes.